Weaning calves earlier than your traditional weaning dates can benefit both cows and calves.

Alexis DeCorby of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture says that during drought — when forage availability is poor — early weaning can take pressure off the cows. This can allow cows to regain weight, putting them in a better body condition score before winter.

“A fatter cow is easier to feed through winter if you have limited feed resources,” says the regional livestock and feed extension specialist. “If cows come off pasture in low body condition, and we have to supplement them right away, we lose the opportunity to utilize poor-quality feeds when their nutritional requirements are low.

“Early weaning,” she continues, “can save producers money, because it gives the cows a chance to put weight back on or maintain condition instead of getting thinner before winter.”

“If cows come off pasture in low body condition, and we have to supplement them right away, we lose the opportunity to utilize poor-quality feeds when their nutritional requirements are low.”
— Alexis DeCorby

To do this efficiently, however, a producer needs to plan ahead. Gregory Penner, a ruminant nutritionist at the University of Saskatchewan, says the goal of early weaning is to reduce nutrient requirements of the cow.

“We decrease those requirements when she goes from lactating to a maintenance state. The calf then utilizes nutrients directly from feed rather than the dam’s milk,” he explains. If a person can transition the calves with little stress and keep them eating, weaning early can be beneficial on a year when feed sources are limited, reducing the cows’ forage demands.

Calf focus

Producers planning to early-wean need to make sure the calves are taken care of,” Penner cautions. “Milk is very energy-dense (ideal food for the young calf), and we need to provide something with similar nutrient levels.”

What you feed will depend on how old the calves are at weaning. “Early weaning” is a broad term and could mean weaning at 45 days of age (1.5 months, like weaning dairy calves off milk) or 120 days (4 months). There is a big difference in what those calves need.

“The feeding and management of the younger ones is much more challenging, making sure they are eating enough of a very high-quality calf starter,” Penner says. “There are also risks associated with these younger calves. There are some things that can drag them down, like coccidiosis or digestive upsets.”

A medicated feed can be utilized to help prevent coccidiosis, but a person needs to work with their veterinarian and a nutritionist, he says. Many cow-calf producers do not have adequate facilities and labor to take care of really young calves, but might do fine weaning 4-month-old calves.

“If you are limited in forage quantity and quality or anticipate some limitations — either short-term or long-term — and are trying to preserve forages for winter feeding, early weaning could be a viable option,” Penner says.

“It doesn’t always need to be coupled with sale time for the calf,” he says. If a person can economically feed those calves a little longer, it may pay to sell them later at a more optimum weight as preconditioned calves.

It also pays to plan ahead, and make sure the calves are ready for the transition. For example, getting calves accustomed to the feed they will be eating.

“When they are weaned, their needs will increase and the cow’s needs go down,” he says.

Editor’s note: Heather Smith Thomas is a freelance writer and cattlewoman from Salmon, Idaho. [Lead photo by Heather Smith Thomas.]
Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 16, No. 8-A​